The intersection of culture and leadership

Over the holidays I took some time to reflect on some of the highlights of 2016. One of those highlights was a conversation with my son, a senior in high school, on the topic of self discovery, identity, and self-actualization. I was a little surprised by how much he had thought about who he’s becoming, and how clear he was about his personal ideology and identity. During our conversation, I realized that he was essentially quoting the famous Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”

In my coaching practice, it is very common to discuss the leadership challenges of running an organization, managing teams, and developing individuals. It is equally common for me to ask questions that get at intrinsic motivation, personal values and purpose. When I think about new years resolutions, I believe that we have good intentions, but we may be approaching these things without reflecting on the deeper principles behind them. What do I mean by this? As I talked to various people about their new resolutions, it became clear to me that almost all of them fell into two categories; do less, or do more! For example: drink less, exercise more; spend less money, save more money; less soda, more tea; less ungratefulness, more gratitude; less worrying, more hoping.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing more noble things and less ignoble things, but I question if these resolutions are too superficial? Is there something more primal to get after with our resolutions? I’d like to suggest a different approach, and that approach is to begin the process of self-discovery in 2017. Self discovery means many things. It means finding your purpose in life (we all have a purpose), it means digging into your childhood and revealing the experiences that shaped you…good and bad. It means realizing what your beliefs are and then living by them. Or as the American English Dictionary defines it, “ a becoming aware of one’s true potential, character, motives, etc.”

I’d like to suggest that the journey of self-discovery will be far more rewarding than the short-term resolutions (they do have their place), and ultimately will lead you to a) greater self-actualization — the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities; and b) greater self-awareness — the capacity for introspection and ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. To embark on this journey, you must think holistically about yourself by asking the following:

Who do I see when I look in the mirror? Do you see someone that is comfortable with looking in the mirror and accepting what you see? Warts and all? What’s important here is that we are not in denial about who we are and can show empathy for our own selves as we journey through this life. I’d suggest taking an inventory of your physical, emotional and spiritual health. If we don’t feel good in our bodies (barring a medical condition) then it can be expected that not much else will truly feel good. If we are plagued by anxiety, anger, frustration, and disappointment, then we will not be living to our full potential. From a spiritual perspective, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states, “One cannot lead a life that is truly excellent without feeling that one belongs to something greater and more permanent than oneself.”

Are the relationships with your family and friends life-giving or life-draining? I’m particularly drawn to individuals who aren’t afraid to distance themselves from people who show little desire to better themselves. I am not suggesting or promoting arrogance or prideful behavior, but rather, developing an awareness of healthy and unhealthy relationships. As Warren Bennis states in On Becoming a Leader, “We cannot change the circumstances of our childhoods, much less improve them at this late date, but we can recall them honestly, reflect on them, understand them, and thereby overcome their influence on us.” I can’t emphasize the importance of cultivating a circle of friends who are equally invested in their personal growth and yours. If you want to become all that you want to be in 2017, those closest to you will either support your journey or hinder it!

Does your work have meaning beyond your title and salary? If I am honest about my own career aspirations, I can say that for many years, my motivation was to make more money and reach to a level in an organization which others would envy. But as Dan Pink, author of Drive reminds us, “We’re designed to be active and engaged. And we know that the richest experiences in our lives aren’t when we are clamoring for validation from others, but when we’re listening to our own voice — doing something that matters, doing it well, and doing it in the service of a cause larger than ourselves.”

Having begun the journey of self-discovery many years ago, I fully embraced Socrates famous saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” And as Warren Bennis states, “Until you make your life your own, you’re walking around in borrowed clothes.” So I encourage you to discover your authentic and true self this year, because the more we know about ourselves and our world, the freer we are to achieve everything we are capable of achieving.

When you walk into a room – can you read it? How well can you gauge the perceptions, feelings, emotions, needs of those around you? As an individual, are you self and socially aware, sensing need around you, while harnessing an empathetic approach? These all are key qualities of Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) was made popular by Daniel Goleman and is rising in both personal and professional capacities. According to World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report, Emotional Intelligence will be one of the top 10 job skills in 2020. So what is EQ and why does it matter?

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, express, and manage emotions, while developing and maintaining good social relationships, and thinking clearly under pressure. Developed EQ is important and desirable because it is the foundation of teachable and team-focused attitudes. Emotionally Intelligent individuals share seven qualities that make them effective leaders and valuable employees:

Emotionally Intelligent employees are/have:

Better able to handle pressure

Increased level to understand and cooperate with others

Good Listeners

Are Open to Feedback

More Empathetic Toward Others

Set an Excellent Example for Others: Ability to not be flustered

Make More Thoughtful and Thorough Decisions

In a recent workshop, a high-level participant stated she looked for these qualities in new-hires because she can teach them how to use Excel and develop a budget fairly quickly. She could not, however, spend the time teaching new hires how to be empathetic, teachable, and team-players. Please do not misunderstand, emotional intelligence is something to be cultivated, but cultivation takes time and self-awareness. If an employer can hire someone with a developed EQ over an individual without one, they will be saving time and bringing an immediate and strong asset to the team.

At the core of EQ is self-awareness. To be emotionally intelligent we need to be able to be critically self-reflective. In essence, we cannot avoid who we are, but we can develop who we are. Developing who we are begins with self-awareness and is comprised of 3 competencies:

Emotional Self-Awareness: Able to read and understand your own emotions; recognize personal emotions impact on work performance and relationships; able to conceptualize how we impact others.

Accurate Self-Assessment: Knowing strengths and limitations of the self.

Self-confidence: Where you have a positive and strong sense of one’s self-worth

Practically speaking, if you find yourself saying, “this person is clueless” you have successfully found an individual void of self-awareness. To avoid being “that guy” ask yourself: “Are there things I don’t like about myself? Things I can change about myself?” In doing so, you have begun the journey of self-awareness.

It’s been almost three months since I gave this talk to a group of educators and school board trustees. Since that time, there have been several new stories that have firmly placed in our collective faces the reality that we in the US have a major issue with diversity. My talk does not speak directly to any of the issues, but I believe I get at the heart of the problem, and that is what I call “cultural empathy” — our individual ability and desire to understand the perspective of someone who is different from ourselves.

Recently I was chatting with some parents and friends and I mentioned that I was working with a local school on their diversity initiatives. Both individuals seemed to flinch when I said the word diversity. Now, I wasn’t surprised by their reaction. I took this as the perfect opportunity to engage in a conversation rather than assume that their views and mine were incompatible. After a two hour conversation I sincerely believe that we both understood more about each others experiences and challenges navigating conversations about diversity.

What happened in this situation? I intentionally chose to suspend any judgements I had about this couples views on the topic. I believe that one of the major barriers to achieving authentic diversity in any organization is our human propensity to judge others. Our judgements can also make us draw incorrect conclusions about others.Harvard University social psychology professor, Ellen Langer, has studied the relationship between people’s stereotypes of themselves (not others) and their performance. All of us are mindlessly prone to believe stereotypes of ourselves unless we question them.How much more must we believe stereotypes about others, who we don’t know?

What if we could develop the ability to suspend all judgement and become better listeners, especially when we are discussing topics with folks that may have a different perspective? Unfortunately, the word diversity seems to carry significant baggage for certain groups. For others, it is their calling card to address perceived and real inequality or exclusion.This is the first step we have to consciously take — suspend judgement — if we want to engage in an authentic conversation about diversity.

The second step we have to take if we want to engage in a discussion about diversity, is to clearly articulate why we believe diversity is important to your organization. Studies like the recent study by McKinsey & Company, and others by the Gallup Organization, that consistently find that diverse teams out-perform non-diverse teams, from a gender and ethnic perspective.

The July/August 2016 issue of the Harvard Business Review was devoted to the topic of diversity. Their research finds compelling evidence for organizations to take a measured and thoughtful approach to their diversity programs. Intel CEO shares his motivation for building a diverse organization — “I have two daughters. They are both technically bright. I want them to come into a workplace that is better than the way the workplace is today.” His view is the opposite of some organizations where the senior leaders have explicitly delegated this topic to the Diversity and Inclusion department. These leaders do not or cannot articulate a vision of diversity themselves, much less the value diversity brings to their organization. The question I think we need to ask ourselves is, are we genuinely interested in deepening our empathy and understanding towards others who are different from us, or do our diversity efforts have the potential to divide groups and create an atmosphere of exclusion? I think we would all agree that on an individual basis, extending empathy and understanding towards everyone, listening respectfully to points of views that are different from our own, will strengthen and bolster any community. Developing a community that expresses cultural empathy and understanding for different perspectives is a value an organization must hold highly, to achieve authentic diversity.

Another obstacle to achieving authentic diversity in our organizations is our own individual unconscious bias. Unconscious biases are created and reinforced by our environments and experiences. Our mind is constantly processing information, oftentimes without our conscious awareness. When we are moving fast or lack all the data, our unconscious biases fill in the gaps. The reasons we struggle and flounder with topics like diversity is because we fail to make it personal. We reduce these things to “initiatives”. Now, I believe we need to start somewhere, so I understand the need for such and initiatives and affinity groups — but if these initiatives or groups do not challenge us to look at the world through the eyes of others,then I’d emphatically state that these groups do not promote authentic diversity! We all need to challenge our assumptions about what diversity looks like.If you have a desire for your organization to embrace authentic diversity, you will need to consider that it will take time.

I suggested the following three steps to for anyone who is serious about exploring the idea of cultural empathy, vis-a-vis, authentic diversity:

Write down an experience in your life that has shaped your views on diversity. It isn’t until we reflect thoughtfully on how our experiences have shaped our views that we can begin to articulate our own views authentically. I recently took Flintridge Prep’s administrative council through this exercise. Everyone shared their stories with the group. What became apparent was that every individual had in some way experienced being misunderstood and had had the feeling of being on the outside. After the meeting, several of the members expressed to me that they had worked with some of the individuals for over 15 years, and felt that they really got know some of their peers for the first time.

Secondly, challenge yourself to identify your own unconscious bias and how and where it shows up in your own life.The simple act of writing a few words, sentences, or paragraphs everyday can have a profound and instant effect on your life for the better. If you don’t already journal, I would recommend this practice to enable you understand yourself better.

Third, begin looking for opportunities to build an authentic relationship with someone who doesn’t look like you. I empathize with you if this idea doesn’t sound particularly appealing. However, it is only when we intentionally seek out others who are different to ourselves that we begin to learn about other peoples stories, experiences and perspectives. Said differently, it is highly unlikely that any one of us will develop any sort of empathy for others who are different, if we remain in essentially homogenous vs heterogeneous circles.

I’m reminded of the words of the 1st century Roman philosopher, Cicero’s words,

“ All I can do is to urge you to put friendship ahead of all other human concerns, for there is nothing so suited to man’s nature, nothing that can mean so much to him, whether in good times or in bad… I am inclined to think that with the exception of wisdom, the gods have given nothing finer to men than this.”

Authentic diversity is a beautiful thing,because it reminds us of our shared humanity. We all crave to be understood for who we are and our unique stories; none of us want to be labeled — we are so much more complex and nuanced than labels allow. Real, authentic diversity happens one relationship at a time – I hope that all of us will lean into and embrace the beauty and benefits of cultural empathy and authentic diversity at work and beyond.

If you have had a boss in your professional life, which is probably everyone reading this, you are acutely aware of the impact they have on you professionally and personally. They have either helped you succeed on the job, or have possibly created obstacles to your success. They may have supported your wishes to balance your family obligations with your career, or caused you to sacrifice your family to succeed at work. They perhaps gave you opportunities to grow and develop and are partly responsible for the success you are experiencing in your career. Or, they have been ambivalent towards you and your colleagues, by demonstrating no interest in your career, but only in their success. If you are like me, I’ve experienced all the aforementioned scenarios. I think you will agree that the type of boss we have, or the kind of boss we are, is extremely critical to our daily work experience and entire career. Said another way, your boss directly impacts the quality of your life. According to Robert Sutton, professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and author of Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best and Learn from the Worst, having a good boss decreases your chances of getting a heart attack!

I’d like to suggest the following steps to help you begin the journey of becoming a better boss.

Understand that you have the greatest impact on your employee’s engagement — which is both their commitment to the job and their performance on the job. The latest research from Gallup finds that 70% of U.S workers are disengaged — “checked out,” sleeping-walking through their days. Recently, I overheard two business professionals chatting at lunch, and I could tell by the conversation that they were discussing situations at work. When they were finished with their lunch, one of the individuals said, “Back to the unhappy place!” I had to ask what they meant by that comment. Their response, “You don’t want to know!”

The need for bosses to develop self-awareness has never been more important. Your emotional intelligence quotient should be a priority right up there with your knowledge of your business. A good boss knows themselves well, as well as knows the business well. If you’re not already aware, your employees are listening and watching everything you do and say! If that doesn’t cause you a little concern, I would question whether you are “fit” to be a twenty-first-century boss! I recently interviewed a client’s executive team, and in giving feedback to my client from those interviews, they responded numerous times with regret that they have behaved in ways that had undermined their credibility. When I asked if they were aware of their actions at the time, they often surmised that they were completely unaware. So my question to you is, are you not watching your boss closely, hopefully to learn from them? If they are thoughtful, kind, respectful, intelligent and fun, then it is likely that you will adopt some of these good qualities. On the other hand, if they are dishonest, obnoxious, arrogant and ignorant, you may have to fight your better self to fend of adopting such destructive characteristics.

A twenty-first-century boss listens to his or her employees. I remember a former boss who during our 1-on-1 meetings would spend the entire hour typing and looking at her screen. Either she found me incredibly dull and boring, or she was oblivious to the fact that by typing on her keyboard and glancing at me on occasion sent a strong message to me that she could not be listening to me.The twenty-first-century boss does everything possible to help people experience dignity and pride. Listening not only shows respect and consideration for another human being, but is the first step to truly understanding their concerns, needs, and wants. Today’s bosses must have a keen awareness that people in power tend to become self-centered and oblivious to what followers need, do, and say. If you will make a commitment to listening well, you can stave of falling into the trap of becoming a bad boss. In conclusion I’d like to leave you with a selection of Bob Sutton’s “Commandments for Wise Bosses”:

Do not treat others as if they are idiots

Listen attentively to your people; don’t just pretend to hear what they say

Ask a lot of good questions

Ask others for help and gratefully accept their assistance

Do not hesitate to say, “ I don’t know”

Forgive people when they fail, remember the lessons, and teach them to everyone

Know your foibles and flaws, and work with people who correct and compensate for your weaknesses

Express gratitude to your people.

To be a better twenty-first-century boss, you must remind yourself that you are a steward — of careers, capabilities, resources and organizational values. Challenge yourself today —to be a better boss — nothing less should be acceptable.

This topic is so close to my heart that I have held off on writing my thoughts for several weeks.Forgive me for procrastinating! Many people find themselves at different stages in their careers asking, is the thing that occupies most of my time – my job – something I truly enjoy or even love? I’ve had numerous conversations with many professionals who are actively disengaged in their current job, or are looking for a new employer. Gallup’s most recent survey on employee engagement measures 32.1% of U.S workers are engaged! I was catching up with a family member recently about their job, and it was saddening to hear how completely defeated they felt, and their lack of optimism that the situation could improve. This individual is a well-paid executive who has stopped caring about their work and is disillusioned about their career.If we find ourselves at this point, we must have the courage to ask ourselves if we are in the rightcareer.

In my experience, career reinvention begins at the point when you recognize very deeply that it is time for change, or put differently, the current situation is no longer working for you. This realization can be very scary and overwhelming for professionals, because most of us have invested heavily in education and made many personal sacrifices to get to our current position. So to confront the fact that your gut is now telling you to do something different can be troubling to say the least. That said, it is normal to have strong feelings and potentially mixed emotions and confusion when you reach a point of deciding to follow you heart and pursue your vocation completely.

The following four steps have helped me navigate my career reinvention:

I had a deep recognition and full awareness that there was so much more I wanted to contribute to the world professionally, and that my current career could not allow me to express myself more fully. This was no longer an acceptable proposition, and I chose to own my destiny rather than accept second best for my career.If you believe that you have a reached a point of ‘no-return’ in your career, it is imperative that you become extremely clear about what it is that you as an individual has to offer an organization — what you uniquely bring to the table! I would recommend using proven tools

The following four steps have helped me navigate my career reinvention:

I had a deep recognition and full awareness that there was so much more I wanted to contribute to the world professionally, and that my current career could not allow me to express myself more fully. This was no longer an acceptable proposition, and I chose to own my destiny rather than accept second best for my career.If you believe that you have a reached a point of ‘no-return’ in your career, it is imperative that you become extremely clear about what it is that you as an individual has to offer an organization — what you uniquely bring to the table! I would recommend using proven tools such as Managing Personal Growth or Gallup StrengthsFinder to assist you in identifying your values and strengths.

You must take a genuine inventory of your experience, skills, interests and passions. This means you have to be able clearly articulate your skills and experience in a way that has no dependency on a past job. Outplacement firms call this ‘transferrable skills’ because it helps individuals in transition realize that if they are hoping to move from one company to another, it is imperative that you can speak to how your experience and skills will transfer to the new employer. Career reinvention has very little to do with finding a new gig; it’s about finding where you as an individual can make the most significant contribution in the world through your career

A successful reinvention requires one to be unequivocally articulate about your brand and the distinct set of services you can provide. If you decide to take the entrepreneurial route, you have to realize that you are selling yourself and not a recognized brand. I’veworked for medium sized and large organizations which when mentioned are recognized by most. When you find yourself needing to reinvent your career, your previous experience is not the platform to build on; but those prior experiences are a reference which validates your capacity for the new. Make sure you can draw a line between your past experience and your reinvented future.

To be successful in your reinvented self, you must perform and deliver results beyond that which were acceptable in your previous role. I have found that if I am completely committed to delivering the best, and the idea of mediocrity becomes anathema, and subsequently successful career reinvention becomes a real possibility. If your career path has been somewhat traditional and predictable, then career reinvention is the exact opposite. You are completely exposed when reinventing yourself, and you must be fully aware of this reality. You have to give of your very best and not settle for anything less.

This post is hopefully encouraging as well as challenging, because the last thing I want to do is mislead people into thinking that changing careers is anything but easy! After working for corporations for almost 25 years, becoming an entrepreneur has been extremely difficult. However, as someone who has achieved success as a musician and athlete, I’ve learned that to be a successful entrepreneur of skilled musician, tremendous effort and sacrifice will be required.So if you recognize that you’ve reached the place of career reinvention, understand that it will not be easy to navigate, but the rewards are life changing and rewarding beyond imagination.

I asked several people what immediately comes to mind when they hear the word diversity used in the context of an organization. As expected, most people do not have a favorable view of the word. The word carries significant baggage with a definite element of mistrust and hidden agendas. To begin a trust-based conversation on diversity, it would be helpful to ask deeper questions than those typically discussed.

Why is diversity important to our organization? Are we interested in deepening our empathy and understanding towards others who are different, or are we creating the potential to divide groups and create an atmosphere of confrontation?

If we seek to be a diverse organization, have we consciously hired individuals who value others from different backgrounds, different perspectives, and different ethnic and cultural heritages?

Do the most senior members of the leadership team demonstrate a real interest in diversity, or has it been delegated to a function that keeps the ‘compliance-police’ satisfied? In other words, do the senior leaders hide behind political-correctness or are they out-in-front, in seeking to realize the benefits of a diverse organization.

If in seeking to become a diverse organization, is their true acknowledgement and acceptance that, everyone has biases and prejudices learned early in life, and people carry around feelings left over from what they learned in their families as children. True diversity will not be achieved if individuals cannot express themselves freely (respectfully) without fearing punishment or ostracism.

Are the key decision makers, as well as any stakeholders, able to articulate comfortably the value of diversity? Do they understand that true diversity is not the same as meeting quotas, and can express views that demonstrate an understanding that diversity is about empathy and tolerance for different perspectives?

How do we ensure that any diversity initiative does not compromise the mission and values of the organization? That is to say, how do we apply equal rigor in improving all areas to the area of diversity, knowing that most organizations take the ‘low-road,’ and end up with mere compliance?

Does your leadership team and staff members reflect diversity in all its forms? If not, how likely is it that your clients, constituents, or students will come from diverse backgrounds? If the organization desires to reach a more diverse audience, the organization must have diverse voices advocating for that organization.

How do we measure diversity in a qualitative way? Has/is diversity impacting decision making, or does the diversity only represent a quantitative value with little to no impact on the organization at large?

How does an organization intentionally bring diverse voices to the table, when the typical voices at the table are those who by way of legacy and success typically occupy those seats? With an increasingly diverse world comes different views of success, which implies that many long held traditional views are no longer the only of most popular view. How does an organization seek out all generations, genders, socio-economic, races — including the burgeoning group of bi-racial children, and other groups to inform the conversations that shape our organizations?

If we are to experience success in becoming a more diverse organization, it will require everyone to adopt a mindset of openness to learning, and a commitment to suspending judgement. Discussing diversity can become quickly charged because of the emotional learning attached to our already held views. To participate in a productive discussion requires humility, deep listening skills, and the ability to communicate with sensitivity and empathy for others deeply held views.

Last Saturday I was able to attend a monumental and historic event,the first TEDxPasadenaWomen. Leading up to this event, I and my co-coach, Michele Lando, dubbed ‘The Twins’, had the pleasure of working with each of the thirteen speakers. Each speaker told their own story in such a way that the audience was moved to tears as well as uproarious laughter several times throughout the day.So that I don’t forget the powerful messages from our speakers, I thought I’d I recap.

Alyesha White – taught us about our responsibility towards our family members, especially if we have younger siblings, and how we must participate in raising responsible young adults. Her spoken word poetry was passionate and heartfelt. Standing ovation #1!! Allison Gryphon and Lolita Lopez – demonstrated the importance of teamwork, and how two women came together to fight breast cancer, and still remain committed to fighting the battle together forever. Standing ovation #2!! See a trend? Kristin Mascka – vividly illustrated how unconscious bias affects all of us, and how we should all strive to support one another, regardless of gender, race, or other classification, because we all are on the same team, and we must seek to support our fellow humans. Frank Chechel – our first male speaker asked the audience if he was even “allowed” to address the primarily female audience. Absolutely! Frank encouraged both the men and women to ‘rock-the-boat’ on gender-equality issues; for men to hire, support, and promote women, and for women to acknowledge the men who do the things that Frank asked the men to do. Dr.Tess Warschaw – if anyone was qualified to talk about resiliency, it was the indomitable Dr.Tess. Now in her eight decade, she shared how in her darkest moment, she lost her resiliency, but with the help of friends, she bounced back. She was quite clear with us that, if you don’t have real friends, we need to go in search of them. All of us at some point in our lives, will need friends to be resilient for us.

Loretta Whitesides – the astronaut from Stanford University who realized with the help of a mentor, that developing your leadership skills and self-development was more important than accomplishments and accolades. How sad would it be walking on the surface of the moon and still have the feeling that she didn’t belong? She encouraged the audience to find your mission in life, and that is when you have the feeling of belonging. Alex Cohen – KPCC news correspondent and retired Roller Derby player illustrated the similarities between the rough and tumble sport of and motherhood. She pointed out some of the ways that mothers failed to be supportive to other mothers, and asked whether if its time to rewrite the manual on motherhood? She began her own support group with other mothers, who have played Roller Derby. Ron Florence – an investment executive challenged the audience not to confuse net-worth with self-worth. A very bold and powerful concept you don’t hear very often. He then helped the audience think about financial decision making with the following three questions. What is the money for? What are you worried about? What is going to make you happy? Joelle Casteix – a victim of sexual abuse, however, she made it very clear to the audience that she is not defined by the abuse. She taught us that becoming a victim is the opposite of taking responsibility. Joelle has taken her experiences and is a published author, speaker, and national expert on child sexual abuse prevention, detection, and education. Nancy Bennett – has always been the first to try new things. Growing up in a family of accomplished scientists and artists, and extremely supportive parents, she developed a curiosity for how things work. And that curiosity led to the development of empathy for others.Her work is always about collaboration, whether it has been producing and directing television shows, music videos, and now creating virtual reality films.

Tembi Locke – an accomplished actress gave a moving account of how one day her life completely changed from what appeared to be an extremely promising one, to one she couldn’t have imagined. Overnight she became a caregiver to her husband who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. She told the audience that what matters most in life is unconditional love and connection. Cristi Hegranes – founder of Global Press Institute told the audience that her lifelong dream to be a foreign correspondent journalist, her dream job, was shattered when she realized she wasn’t qualified to tell the stories of the native lands she visited. But instead of giving up, she started an organization that now trains local people to become journalists who can accurately tell these stories all around the globe. Consuelo Martinez – our closing speaker challenged the audience to find their voice and speak up, because she has experienced the power of words and ideas. She closed her talk with the very first talk she gave, just a few months prior that rocked her world and her school audience. In her words, being Latino, female, public school educated, and seventeen years old, may not look like she has the best chance in this world. However, Connie’s powerful talk showed everyone in the room what a difference we can make when we find our voice and use it!